Lunch-box.



No. 735,656. PATENTED AUG. 4,1903 L. E. BROYLBS. LUNCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 9. 1903. N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 735,656. PATENTED'AUGY. 4, 1903'.

B. BROYLES.

LUNCH BOX. APPLIOATION'BILED MAB. 9, 190s.

no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET z llllllllli Z I z 2 H 'm "J V I @mumum'h HHHHH n Hi 7H2 Nomus warms co Fnc'rmmmo. WASHINGTON n. c

UNITED STATES Patented August 4, 1903.

"PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER E. BROYLES, OF NEW YORK, Y., ASSIGN OR TO UNION LUNCHEO BOX COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

, LUNCH-BOX.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,656, dated August 4, 1903.

k Application filed March 9, 1903. Serial No. 146,916. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESTER E. BRoYLEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and

5 State of New York,'have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lunch Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of portable food containing devices known as lunch-boxes, and its objects are to provide an article of such character in a simple and economical form with a novel and convenient arrangement of compartments supplying means for 5 conveying from place to place I 5 articles of food, both liquid and solid, and to heat one or more of said compartments.

The features ofinvention of'my improved lunch -box may be summarized as follows: first, the construction of a main casing divided into two chambers,'.one ofsaid chambers being adapted to contain a liquid-receptacle and a lamp to heat it and the other chamber being divided into compartments for containing articles of food, and a front 2 5 hinged cover over said chambers which when swung open provides perfect accessibility to all of said chambers and compartments, second, the construction of a lunch-box having two main chambers, one a'h'eating-chamber 0 containing a liquid-receptacle and a lamp to heat same and the other containing a plurality of food-containing compartments separated from each other by partitions of nonconducting material,together with adjustable means for introducing heat from the lamp-chamber into one or more of the'foodcontaining compartments; third, a portable lunch-box having several compartments and a hinged cover at one side thereof which" 40 when open discloses all 'of said compartments, together with an outer sheath adapted to slide over the sides of said lunch-box, inclosing all excepting the base thereof, a strap I in engagment with said sheath, and means whereby the tightening and securing of said strap unites said sheath and lunch-box and provides a handle for the purpose of portability.

In the drawings accompanying this application, Figure 1 is a perspective front elevation of my improved lunch-box, showing its inclosing sheath removed and the front cover open. Fig. 2 is avertical sectiontaken on the line y y of Fig. 1 and lookingin the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line as a: of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, a portion of the partition being broken away to disclose the heatpassage in the side of the coffee-receptacle; and Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the coffee-re ceptacle.

While any suitable material may be employed in the construction of my lunch-box, I prefer to make it ofsheet-tin for the purpose of economy.

The box is composed of the side plates A and B, top'plate 0, base D, and a corresponding back plate, (not shown in the drawings,) all of which are fitted or secured together in any well-known manner to effect a permanent and strong. connection, or, if desired, some of said members may be formed from a continuous sheet of material suitably bent to produce the angles indicated.

E indicates the front plate, which being hinged to the base D, as at e e, also serves as an adjustable cover and, further, when laid open answers "the purpose of a tray upon which articles of food brought from the lun chbox mayrest. r

The cover E is provided with a narrow flange e, turned at right angles about its free. edges for the purpose of fitting snugly over the meeting edges of plates A, B, and O in closing the cover, the frictional engagement serving to retain the cover in the .closed position. A more secure means of fastening the cover E is unnecessary, because, as will be described hereinafter, an outer sheath is employed which effectively. sustains the closure at all times exceptingwhen the lunchluv heating-chamber, serving to contain a lamp, as R, and a removable liquid-receptacle, as L, having cap 15 The lower drawer of the series indicated 1 rests upon the base D when inserted in place within the lunch-box, and brackets N N O 0, held, respectively, against the partition F and wall A, support the drawers G II and slides K K, respectively, by means of the inwardly-turned flanges n 0 n 0 and n o n 0'. Thebrackets O O are rigidly secured to the wall A and are provided each with an aperture 0 which registers with a corresponding aperture a in the wall, forming exits for heated air from the spaces J J. Similar apertures f f are provided in the partition F, and apertures 11? n are formed through the brackets N N to register therewith; but the brackets N N are arranged to slide independently upon the partition F to permit of either covering the aperturesf f or of partially or wholly disclosing same by moving said brackets to register the apertures a n with a portion or the entirety of apertures f f.

The brackets N N are rendered movable in the following manner: Headed studs P P are located upon the partition F in the horizontal plane of an. aperture f and slots n n are formed in a bracket N, said slots fitting slidably upon the stems of studs P P, thereby supporting the bracket, while the heads of said studs serve to hold the bracketin parallel relation to partition F. A lip n formed at the outer end of the bracket N, serves as a finger-catch,whereby the bracket may be moved to adjust and regulate the passage through the apertures 11 and f.

An eyelet Q depends from the top plate 0 within the heating-chamber, and the coifee or other liquid containing receptacle L is provided at its upper portion with ahook Z, whose engaging bill is arranged parallel with the upper surface of receptacle L and adapted to slide into eyelet Q to support the receptacle L at an elevation above the base D.

R indicates a heating-lamp of any desirable character, but which is provided witha baseplate 0*, to which it is secured, said base-plate being preferably of a width and length corresponding to the transverse and longitudinal extent of the heating-chamber and arranged to fit removably therein, whereby with the correct adjustment of the lamp upon said plate the former is accorded a correct location centrally beneath the receptacle L and will not shift its position with the movement of the lunch-box.

The base of receptacle L is concaved or depressed transversely to form the heat-concentrating space S, said space being located directly over the flame of the lamp, and a similar concavity or depression '1, formed in the inner wall of receptacle L, communicates with space S, serving as a continuation thereof and forming with the partition F a passage-way for the heated air produced below the receptacle L. An exhaust-aperture 6, having closing-cap 25, is provided in the top plate C above the heating-chamber. As will be seen in the drawings, the n and f apertures when in alinement are in the path of the heated air ascending through the aforesaid passage-way.

Air-inlets, as b b b d d, are provided in wall B and cover E, respectively, to feed combustion in the lamp-chamber.

When desired to direct the course of all the heated air through the spaces J J or one of them, the apertures f f or one of them being open, I close the exit if and also place a cover over the upper end of concavity T, the same comprising a strip of metal M, bent at right angles, one arm thereof resting upon the receptacle L, covering the upper end of concavity T, while the other arm lies intermediate the receptacle L and partition F to frictionally retain said cover in such position. By this means the natural course of the heated air is through the open aperture f, the space J, and out through the apertures o a.

The slides K K may, in common with the drawers G H I, be removed from the box, and thereby the entire chamber is left clear of incumbrances for the purpose of being cleaned. Said slides K K, which are intended to confine the effects of the heated air passed through spaces J J to specific drawers, are preferably composed each of a sheet of asbestos whose edges are protected and reinforced with a binding, as 70, composed of strips of metal folded and clamped about such edges.

The lower drawer I is not provided with means for being heated, and a slide K protects it from the influence of heat in the next adjoining heating-space J, the purpose being to maintain a low temperature in said drawer in order that it may contain sandwiches and other articles of food which should be kept cool. The location of this drawer at the base of the lunch-box more readily permits the accomplishment of this result.

\Vhen the lunch-box is not in use, the threefold function of improving its appearance, positively securing the cover E in the closed position, and providing a convenient handle for carrying the box from place to place is provided in the following manner: V V indicate lower extensions of the side walls A B, (which serve as feet or supports to the lunchbox and prevent injury to the base D should the box be set down sharply upon an uneven surface,) and U 'u are slots therethrough to receive a strap \V. X indicates a sheath or telescoping cover (which may be of leather or other material of an ornamental and durable nature) having the recesses 10 10 at the lower edges of itsopposite side walls, said sheath being adapted to slide over the lunch-box when the latter is closed, the recesses w w affording clearances for the strap 7 and said sheath inclosing the whole of the luncheonbox with the exception of base I), whereupon the strap ends are brought together and se- ICC cured above the sheath, either as shown in Fig. 2 or in any other well-known manner, and said strap, when secured, serving as a handle with which to carry the apparatus.

Having now described my invention, I declare that what I claim is- 1. In a portable food-receptacle, in combination, a casing in rectangular form, closed at five sides, and having a hinged cover for its remaining, front side, a partition in said casing dividing it into two main chambers, one of said chambers serving to contain a lamp and liquid-can, and the other chamber containing a series of food-holding drawers, separated by heat-spaces, and said partition having apertures between said lamp-chamher and said heating-spaces; and means for closing or regulating the size of said apertures.

2. In a portable food-receptacle, in combination, a casing, a partition forming two chambers within said casing, said partition having apertures therein, a heat-generator in one of said chambers, a series of food-drawers in the other of said chambers, said drawers being separated by heating-spaces, together with-slidable angle-brackets supporting said drawers, said brackets having apertures corresponding to the apertures in the partition, whereby, when the brackets are moved to register the aforesaid apertures, heated air may pass from the heat-generating chamber to a heating-space beneath a drawer.

3. In a portable food-receptacle, the combination with a casing and a vertical partition therein, forming two chambers, of a series of drawers and slides removably contained within one of said chambers, a drawer and slide being separated by an intervening space; together with a pair of brackets, located oppositely, upon the casing-wall and the partition, to support each a drawer and slide, said brackets consisting each of a vertically-disposed strip of metal having inturned upper and lower flanges to support, respectively, the drawer and slide.

4. In a portable food-receptacle, the combination with a casing and a vertical partition therein, forming two chambers, of a heat-generator in one of said chambers, and a series of drawers and slides removably contained within the other of said chambers, a drawer and slide being separated by an intervening heating-space having an outlet for the heated air; together with a pair of brackets, located oppositely, upon the casing wall and partition, one of said brackets being slidable and having an aperture arranged to registerwith a corresponding aperture in the partition, to admit heated air, and said brackets consisting each of a vertically-disposed strip of metal having inturned upper and lower flanges to support, respectively, the drawer and slide.

5. In a portable food-receptacle, in combination, a casing, a vertical partition therein forming two chambers, one of said chambers containing a drawer for food and a heatingspace therefor bounded on one side by said partition a heating-lamp in the other chamber, said partition having an aperture communicating with said heating-space; together withaliquid-receptacle within said last-named chamber, means detachably supporting said receptacle from the top of said chamber, said receptacle having a heat concentrating and conducting channel, and means for directing the heated air either through the aperture in the partition, or through an exhaust-aperture in the casing above the liquid-receptacle.

6. In a portable food-receptacle, in combination, a casing, a vertical partition therein forming two chambers, a drawer in one of said chambers to contain food, and a lamp in the other chamber to generate heat, said partition having an adjustable aperture for the passage of heat to said food-drawer; together with abase-plate secured to said lamp, of approximately the same dimensions as the interior area of the heating-chamber, to steady the lamp and determine its location within the chamber, and means for concentrating and directing the heated air toward the aperture in the partition.

7. In a portable food-receptacle, in combination, a casing, a vertical partition therein,

forming aheat-generatingchamber and a food-containing chamber, said partition having an adjustable aperture, and the top of said heat-generating chamber having an adjustable aperture; together with a source of heat in said last-named chamber, a liquidreceptacle adjustably pendent thereabove, snugly fitting within the chamber, a heatconcentrating channel in the base of said receptacle and continuing up the side thereof against the partition, passing the aperture in said partition, and a removable shield to cover the upper end of said heat-channel, preventing exit thereabove.

8. In combination, a portable food-containing receptacle comprising a rectangular casing, one side thereof being hinged to the base and adapted to open downwardly, together with a sheath or cover, adapted, when said casing is closed, to slide snugly thereover, securing such closure and inclosing the top and walls of the casing, a strap, and means normally connecting said strap at the baseof said casing, whereby, when the said sheath is adjusted, the opposite ends of the strap may be united above said sheath to secure the members and form a handle therefor.

9. In a portable food-receptacle, in combination, a casing, a series of food drawers and slides removably contained therein, a drawer and slide being separated by a space for the passage of heated air, and said slide being composed of asbestos or other nonconducting material to confine the heat to the drawer.

10. In a portable food-receptacle, in com-.

supported in the aforesaid slots and adapted, when the sheath or cover is upon the casing, to fit within the aforesaid recesses and be connected at its opposite ends about the sheath or cover, uniting the members and forming a handle therefor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 28th day of February, 1903.

LESTER E. BROYLES.

Witnesses:

F. W. BARKER, NAT. B. CHADsEY. 

